1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital data storage management. More particularly, the invention concerns a copy procedure that distinguishes between qualified and unqualified data objects in a body of source data, and copies the source data to a target storage unit except for unqualified user files, which are replaced with a prescribed compressible bit pattern. Regardless of whether data objects are copied or replaced with the prescribed bit pattern, the copy process reports them as having been copied successfully.
2. Description of the Related Art
The electronic management of data is central in this information era. Scientists and engineers have provided the necessary infrastructure for widespread public availability of an incredible volume of information. The Internet is one chief example. In addition, the high-technology industry is continually achieving faster and more diverse methods for transmitting and receiving data. Some examples include satellite communications and the ever-increasing baud rates of commercially available computer modems.
With this information explosion, it is increasingly important for users to have some means for storing and conveniently managing their data. In this respect, the development of electronic data storage systems is more important than ever. And, engineers have squarely met the persistent challenge of customer demand by providing speedier and more reliable storage systems.
As an example, engineers at INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION (IBM) have developed various flexible systems called “storage management servers”, designed to store and manage data for remotely located clients. One example is the TIVOLI STORAGE MANAGER (TSM) product. With this product, a central server is coupled to multiple client platforms and one or more administrators. The server provides storage, backup, retrieval, and other management functions for the server's clients.
Although the TSM product includes some significant improvements over prior storage systems, IBM continually seeks to improve the efficiency of this and other such systems. One area of possible focus is space utilization, namely, minimizing the amount of storage space required to store data. To minimize the cost of disk, tape, and other storage media, customers wish to minimize the storage space that their data occupies. Customers also seek to minimize other storage assets, such as tape library storage slots, etc. Although some useful approaches have been proposed to address these concerns, IBM is nevertheless seeking better solutions to benefit its customers.